Use of special cups for children designed to train them to drink from the cup instead of a baby bottle are in common use in today's marketplace. They are often called “sippy” cups and there are many varieties available. The cups, typified by those disclosed in US patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,620 to Belcastro, U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,245 to Haberman, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,705,485 to Sato et al each describe sipping cups and lids for use by babies and children. None of these patents disclose anything about oral hygiene. The use of sippy cups is in fact somewhat controversial because those that are spill-proof can lead to the habit of the child's sucking the cup's mouthpiece while lying down, as if it were a baby bottle.
Playtex Products, Inc. is the assignee of at least four US patents on their product, the “Sipster™” cup. They are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,542,670, 6,050,445, 6,422,415, and RE37,016. The cups disclosed in these patents are concerned with fluid flow throw the cup, spill-proof qualities. Oral hygiene is nowhere mentioned in any of the above-cited Playtex patents.
Oral hygiene for small children and edentulous people is mentioned in U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,881. In 881 Hill et al mention oral hygiene gels and discuss the application of said gels to the irritated gums Application of the gel, as seen in column 7 of '881 is by the use of “a finger, a gauze-wrapped finger, or a soft bristled brush”. Although oral hygiene is mentioned, there is nothing similar to the cup apparatus of the present invention in '881.
A combined finger toothbrush and gum massager as described in US Design patent DES 313,317 to Brummer et al and a baby bottle toothbrush, as advertised on-line at marketlaunchers.com are products that are concerned with the cleaning the teeth of small children. The cleaning members of these devices are meant to be used on a fingertip of an adult and could not be used by a child himself. This device does not in any way introduce the child to clean his teeth.
Applicant, who is a dentist, is experienced in caring for children's teeth and has devised the toothbrush training cup apparatus of this invention to solve the problem of childhood tooth decay. By using the cup apparatus of this invention to sip a fluid, a child will simultaneously clean his teeth. The cup apparatus of this invention has no valves to control fluid flow and is not drip-proof. This prevents the child from using the cup when he is a reclining position, and therefore become dependent on the cup as one would a baby bottle.